Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has denied rumours of a rift with Marcus Rashford after dropping him to the bench against Crystal Palace.
However, Premier League legend Alan Shearer has insisted the Dutchman is chatting nonsense after denouncing the decision.
As United could only manage a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace on Saturday, Ten Hag’s decision to drop Rashford from the starting line-up has come under the microscope.
It comes after the England international netted three times in two games and it looked like he was returning to form.
Erik ten Hag insisted he only dropped Marcus Rashford for rotation reasons
PA/Rest Is Football
But Rashford saw his momentum halted by being named on the bench with youngsters Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo named on either flank while Joshua Zirkzee started up top.
Ten Hag insisted that he dropped Rashford from the starting XI for rotation reasons, and did later put him on.
However, Newcastle icon Shearer rubbished that reasoning and claimed that something must have happened behind the scenes.
Speaking on the Rest Is Football podcast, host Gary Lineker said: “It looks like, reading between the lines, it might be some disciplinary issues because he (Ten Hag) kind of mooted that in his press conference that ‘Marcus has got to be professional’.”
Shearer responded: “Why else would you leave him out?”
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“When things have been criticised, and I was one of them, for performances, but then you get your goal last weekend, you get another couple in midweek.
“Why would you actually even contemplate leaving him out? My guess is, and it is a guess, it has to be something different.”
United have had serious injury troubles under Ten Hag with players such as Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Mason Mount sidelined for several months.
Marcus Rashford was dropped to the bench against Crystal Palace
PA
And Ten Hag has insisted the congested fixture schedule has forced him into making decisions over his squad.
“There are too many games. It’s clear. Too many competitions,” said Ten Hag.
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Erik ten Hag has insisted he is doing what is best for his squad
PA
“For the top players, they are overloaded and this is not good for football. It’s maybe good for commercial but there is a limit.
“It’s almost unavoidable that players get injured because of the overload from so many games.”